Heavy Rain
by IsoldeAhlstrom
Summary: Nero's eyes are red, water streaming down his face. Tears or rain, Dante can't tell. Mentions of blood and a lost limb.


Disclaimer: I do not own Devil May Cry and all related characters/weapons/plots therein.

* * *

The phone call comes while they're eating. The sky's been threatening to dump rain on them the entire day, but it hasn't happened yet.

Dante picks up. "Devil May Cry," he says, and freezes. Lady and Trish watch in concern as he drops his slice of pizza onto his plate, paling rapidly.

"On my way." He slams the receiver down and is out the door before either woman can say anything.

If Lady and Trish call after him, Dante doesn't hear them. He jumps in the car, starts it, and drives away. His heart pounds. He doesn't Trigger, but it's a close thing. Anger, fear, and worry battle inside him. The scenery flies by, and sometime before he reaches Fortuna, the rain starts.

Nero is sitting in front of the house, head bowed, motionless. Fear chokes Dante and he slams on the brakes. The squeal of tires brings Nero's head up. Dante rips the key out of the ignition and leaps out of the car. He stumbles as his eyes catch on the kid's right arm.

What's left of it, at least. Bloody bandages cover a stump, right at the elbow. Dante's eyes burn. Nero stands, slowly. Dante's feet carry him the rest of the way to his nephew. Nero's eyes are red, water trailing down his face. Tears or rain, Dante can't tell. That's the point. Dante gently grabs Nero's head, and kisses his forehead. Nero clings to him, wordless. Dante pulls him close. His right hand remains on Nero's face, his left cradles the kid's head. "My, my…" he whispers. "Heavy rain, isn't it?"

A sob breaks from Nero's lips, then another, and another. His left hand (only hand) clenches on Dante's right arm, fingers digging into the leather of his coat sleeve. Dante drags in a breath, losing his own battle against the tears.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. He kisses the side of Nero's head. Nero sobs harder. He pulls his chin off Dante's shoulder and buries his face into his uncle's chest. Dante moves his right hand to Nero's back and rubs large circles there. The rain's drenched them, but the duo doesn't move. Not even when Kyrie emerges with an umbrella and holds it over them. She rests a hand on Nero's right shoulder. Nero flinches, whining. Dante purrs, trying his best to comfort his nephew.

Eventually, they move inside. Kyrie takes off Nero's jacket, then Dante's. It takes a bit of shuffling, but Dante keeps a hand on Nero the entire time. A raven-haired girl Dante's never seen before brings out an armful of towels. Dante snags one and drapes it over Nero. Kyrie surprises him when she does the same for him.

"Put the rest of them on the couch," he orders her, keeping his voice low.

"Okay," she replies, and does so. The black-haired girl retreats once her load's gone. Dante's grateful for that. He guides a still-silent Nero to the towel-covered couch, and they sit. Kyrie kisses Nero on the forehead, then leaves with a sorrowful countenance when she gets no response.

"It was Vergil." The words are quiet. They settle over Dante like a lead blanket. "He took my—" Nero's voice breaks off in a sob.

Dante pulls him close, ice curling around his heart. "We'll find him." His voice is a low, guttural growl, his devil displeased by his twin's actions. He very carefully sets aside the fact that his brother is, apparently, alive. He'll deal with that later.

"Dante," Nero whimpers, pulling back and looking up at the older devil hunter. "I lost my arm."

Dante nods. "I know. We'll figure something out."

"I can't feel my devil anymore," Nero whispers, eyes wide and filling with tears again. Fear singes the air, hot and sour. "Dante."

Dante rests his forehead against Nero's. "It's not gone forever, Nero. I promise, it's not. It just needs to recover, to rebuild strength. It'll find another way to manifest, given time. It's still there, Nero. I swear it." He remembers that feeling. He's lost contact too, after the Vie di Marli fiasco, when he'd finally dragged himself out of hell and back to Devil May Cry. He brings a hand up and tenderly wipes a tear away. "I promise, Nero. It's just asleep."

The scent of Nero's fear fades. He lays his head on Dante's shoulder, nose just barely touching the skin of Dante's neck. "My father is alive."

A snarl of emotion rises in Dante's chest. Relief, that his brother's escaped death yet again, that he's not yet truly guilty of fratricide. Anger, that Vergil would do this to his own son. Apprehension, because Dante knows that once again, they'll end up on opposite sides of the battlefield.

Nero nuzzles him gently, breath tickling his skin. He says nothing. It's everything Dante needs to hear.

Dante breathes, stroking Nero's back. "You can't kill your own father," he says, pleadingly. "You wouldn't be able to live with yourself. Lady still can't."

"I know," Nero replies, left hand resting on Dante's chest. "But you can't fight him again. It would kill you."

Dante doesn't have a response to that. So, he presses his lips to Nero's head, wondering what he ever did to deserve a nephew such as this one.

* * *

Dante sees a familiar sign and shifts lanes, taking the exit. Vergil's grip on his waist tightens, but he says nothing.

It's a matter of memory to take the right turns, ending up in front of the cemetery gates. Dante parks Cavaliere and dismounts, Vergil a heartbeat behind him. Dante leads his brother through the lines of gravestones. He's heartened to see semi-fresh flowers resting against the headstone. Nero's handwriting marks the card. Dante kneels, breathes, collects his thoughts.

"Hey, Gran," he says, and hears Vergil's sharp intake of breath. "Sorry I'm late. Nero and I found Vergil. Turns out he wasn't as dead as I thought he was. We got a little lost in the underworld. But we're out now." He swallows, throat tightening. "I miss talking with you. I miss your stories. There was more I wanted to learn, about mom and her childhood." Vergil's standing closer, a hand on his shoulder. Dante leans against his brother's legs. He can't talk anymore past the lump in his throat.

Vergil kneels, reaching out and tracing the name on the headstone. "I would have liked to meet you, grandmother," he whispers. "I suppose that I will have to subsist on what Dante and Nero are willing to share with me. Rest in peace, Susan Willoughby."

A warm wind blows around them, twining through hair and clothes and dancing away. Dante swipes at his eyes. "We're close. Should be two more hours of driving."

"Shall I take over?" Vergil asks, not yet standing. "You've driven the entire way."

"Nah, I'm good." Dante kisses his fingers and presses them to the grave. "Bye, Gran. I'll be back."

"We'll return," Vergil corrects, then copies Dante's motions. The twins stand in unison and leave.

* * *

My first foray into the world of Devil May Cry.

So, Susan Willoughby is Eva's mom. Eva was her only child, and so everything that Eva would have received when Susan died passed to Dante. Hence, he's not as pressed for money as he was in canon, and so Kyrie can call him when Nero loses his arm. That story is not written yet, but I hope that it will come out soon.

Inspired by pictures I found on Pinterest.


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